England declare with comfortable lead as game heads towards draw

England took a comfortable first-innings lead of 120 having declared on
237 for seven, a little over an hour after lunch on the third day.

Matthew Hoggard, who bowled brilliantly in the first-innings, taking
four for 13, claimed a wicket on the stroke of tea having Salman Butt
caught at first slip for nine. Three overs earlier Alex Tudor had
dismissed Mohammad Ramzan, caught behind. The batsman collected a 'pair' in this match.

At tea the Pakistan Cricket Board X1 were 15 for two after 6.5 overs.

With no play having been possible on the second day owing to wet ground
conditions, there seemed little likelihood of a result in this three-day
match at the Bagh-e-Jinnah ground in Lahore.

England appeared to use the occasion for some useful batting practice in
view of the second Test next week. Resuming their first innings on 76
for two, Marcus Trescothick and Alec Stewart, the two not out batsmen
from the first day, scored at the rate of a run a minute in the first
hour.

During that period Trescothick reached fifty having added 22 to his
overnight score with the help of three boundaries, one of which was a
powerful straight drive off pace bowler Stephen John who has been the
opposition's most successful bowler.

Trescothick decided to retire on fifty and in the next over the Board X1
claimed the wicket of Stewart for 47. It was John who had him caught at
first slip and England were 137 for three.

With his next ball John removed Andy Flintoff and then England lost two
more wickets before lunch which was taken on 167 for six.

Michael Vaughan, struggling for form, gave a return catch to off spinner
Shoaib Malik and five runs later on 158 the sixth wicket fell with Tudor
being caught at long leg when he hooked a rising ball from John who
eventually finished with four wickets in the innings.

England's declaration came at the fall of Ashley Giles' wicket for 28
after he had helped to put on 79 with Paul Nixon who remained unbeaten
with 47 from 62 balls.He had played an entertaining innings which
included two boundaries and a towering six over long-on.

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